There cannot possibly be an IT skills shortage while home PCs are commonplace and much of the population spend several hours a day in front of computers (We are short of ideas, not skills, letters.computing.co.uk).

The IT skills learned using Microsoft applications or games might not match those required by business employers, but the gap is not so big. It is no longer necessary to understand complex machine-level code to write programs and business reports; even intricate tasks such as writing backup and database management procedures can now be performed via user-friendly, front-end menus.

The main IT requirement of the business world is - and always has been - to use only those computer applications that will benefit the company financially and help them retain or increase their market lead. During my time as European IT manager for a blue-chip company, the main qualities demanded from the IT department were system stability and reliability, followed by innovative use of available technology and protection of the firm's data.

I maintain that anyone who could offer these to the business community today would have a good future in IT regardless of their  entry-level skills.

John McGhee

There are reports forever stating impending doom due to a lack of available skilled people stemming back beyond the turn of the millennium.

While the so-called shortfall is well documented in publications such as Computing, the other side of the story is often ignored. What role is business to play in ensuring there is an adequate pool of skilled people they can hire? From what I see the answer is very little.

Glancing at the IT job board vacancies one will notice how specific recruitment advertisements are, particularly for finance and investment industries. In other words, there is a lot of poaching and a small pool of individuals are on a job merry-go-round.

I am tired of hearing large organisations bleat on about the skills shortage and then watch them further exacerbate the problem by inflexible attitudes. Run an article on the number of people  trying to improve their  careers and the lack of compromise among employers with regards to experience.

Tyrone King

Who would go into telecoms and IT? (Technology counts - but the skills numbers don't add up,
peterskyte.computing.co.uk) Graduates are obviously being advised not to. The sector will be increasingly male and old because that's what is left. The government has killed the industry with offshoring and the like. The only major IT projects are government projects that have to be secure. Go into banking or media - that is all the UK is good at.

Rob, submitted on the web

We have reached a point where if an online store's branding and reputation conveys a sense of trust, the brand and its web site displays the key authentication symbols/certificates, we should shop, shop, shop (Are we really so scared when online shopping? newsdesk.computing.co.uk).

The banks cover fraudulent transactions and getting something back from banks these days is a triumph in  itself. Perhaps this is why banks are pushing these highly annoying secondary security systems. It is beginning to defeat the purpose of the exercise, which is speed and convenience.

Having to carry tokens  is impractical and having  to create number/letter combination passwords just forces us to write all our numerous passwords down, again defeating the purpose of the security measures in the first place. Let  technology do its job.

Bryan Hunter

Of course the two convictions on the basis of DNA forensics was good news and just one of many lines of  enquiry that can secure the evidence for conviction (Hysteria clouds database debate, comment.computing.co.uk).

When we have a DNA  profile but no culprit, we only have the means to  identify them when they are known. Consequently, there is a respectable and growing body of opinion that believes routine blood tests should populate the DNA database.

It makes perfect sense to know the "owner" of DNA  beforehand so a match can be made. I have little doubt the time is not far away when routine sampling will be used to populate DNA databases. Then we can   reflect about the benefits of a society that determines  citizenship on the premise that if someone commits a criminal act we will know about it. While I agree databases are simply a way to store information, the  people who design and use them are a different matter.

Richard Mills

The government has spent six years trying to find a plausible reason to force everyone to have an ID card - it cannot (Roll up, roll up, get your voluntary ID cards here, editor.computing.co.uk). There are no good reasons.

This is a piece of control freakery by Whitehall civil servants who want to compile a national population register because it would be convenient for them, with no regard for the  monetary or constitutional costs to the country.

They are hypnotised by the prospect of the Home Office becoming the pre-eminent government department - eclipsing even the Treasury - by interposing itself in every transaction between the
citizen and government,  and many transactions  between the citizen and  private industry.

It is every Home Office mandarin's dream - we would all have to have civil service permission to access healthcare, banking services or even pick up a parcel at the post office.

Think I'm exaggerating? Read examples on the Home Office web site at www.identitycards.gov.uk. Centralising this level of control over our everyday lives is pure folly. The ID scheme must be scrapped, immediately.

Andrew Watson

I was very interested to read the article, Face value or face ache?. A bit that especially interested me was the views of David Hobson regarding the adverse impact social networking sites can have on bandwidth and productivity.

Our experience suggests that a combination of well thought-out policies underpinned by appropriate technology can safeguard the interests of employers, while providing a work environment that meets the needs of the staff themselves.

The key is to adopt a trusting approach, allowing   employees to plan their own time according to their
individual requirements. The result can be improved morale and motivation  combined with less pressure on bandwidth because staff are not accessing the   internet at the same time.

Simon Norris

I am an IT manager in the education sector and have recently been involved with Building Schools for the Future (BSF).

The concept is that IT suppliers will support networks used in schools and will improve the technology and be cheaper (All education IT is to be outsourced, letters.computing.co.uk).

The price was originally £60 per pupil, but has been increased to more than £150 per pupil, meaning a school of 2000 students would have to pay £300,000 per year.

This is about three times more expensive, for a far inferior service. For example, password changes can take up to 15 minutes; new user accounts can take up to a day and new software needs to be approved and can take six months.

In addition, the secondary school that I support was told to remove certain equipment because it was too advanced and would not  be supported. Equipment needed to be replaced, at  the cost of £850,000.

While money has been given to schools in the short term, at £300,000 per year this will soon be used -
without the commitment  of any future funding.

All equipment needs to be purchased via the BSF  catalogue. These prices are on average 30 per cent more than anyone else, because they include the support costs, even though if the item is a replacement, the support has been paid for already.

A concerned education worker and taxpayer

Regarding Anthony Hawkins' letter and Mark Samuels advocating a "proactive reaction", I think I can help (Getting a reaction, letters.computing.co.uk).

"Proactive" does not mean anything at all, but at this moment in time, and going forward, the bottom line is, this state of the art, industry-standard word is very useful to journalists and PR folk with a page to fill.

Phil Thane

May I enter the debate on extending Freedom of Information (FoI) to private sector contractors? (Law change will raise costs for local council IT, www.computing.co.uk/2209584).

FoI was introduced with four main aims: openness, accountability, democracy, and inclusive access. Experience over the past three years shows the FoI Act has improved access to information for ordinary citizens.

Many private sector bodies already come under the scope of FoI. For example, public utilities delivered by privatised shareholder companies, such as gas, water or power; or local authority contractors providing waste, landfill, or road maintenance services.

Nearly all larger public  authorities have adopted the principle of consulting with commercial third parties where an information  request relates to their  business with the authority. Designating private sector providers as request handlers is just a logical step in this evolving bill of rights.

The new proposals may actually reduce bureaucracy. Currently, a request for  information about private sector work means consulting with the contractors. This creates additional  correspondence – when all parties are under pressure to meet the 20-day timeline

I challenge Socitm’s assertion that all organisations subject to FoI must have an employee dedicated to this work. Having worked with the legislation since 2001, I have never come across any obligation to have a single FoI expert. It is good practice, but only a few large councils have an FoI specialist.
Please do not knock FoI. It is improving understanding and trust in government processes. There is no
evidence it is reducing the quality of private sector IT services. This type of legal regime is a must in modern democracies and UK FoI is well crafted, well implemented and is here to stay.

Colin Tyc

We have been using SMS for dynamic password sign-on over the internet for more than a year for similar systems to that mentioned in your article without any problems, including SMS ordering (Message in a bottleneck, letters.computing.co.uk).

Are the problems experienced by your correspondent, Andrew, confined to his mobile phone company, or are the delays at one or more particular SMS-originating mobile phone companies? It would be very
interesting to know.

Name withheld on request

Robert Chapman fails to mention that thanks to the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme, practically all technical IT staff in schools will be outsourced to private companies (The lure of the public sector, www.computing.co.uk/2210507).

The remaining teaching staff are severely restricted in their ability to innovate without sound technical backup, which the replacement toner-drones will be unable to provide.

J Wiltshire

Yes, come work in education, for tuppence a day and a cup of hot gravel (The lure of the public sector, www.computing.co.uk/2210507).

Well, until Building Schools for the Future (BSF) causes you and your job to be outsourced, so that you end up being regraded from network manager to mouse technician.

Or your new school has big lovely IT suites full of fancy wireless and spanking new whiteboards and your server room is downsized to one slightly smaller than the cleaner’s broom cupboard you now have to share with the cleaning supplies.

Watch out Mildred, don’t put that open bottle of bleach on the server. No, it is not a tray for your cup of tea, whoops too late… and too late to halt the tide of BSF.

Name withheld on request

The banks introduced chip-and-PIN for increased secur-ity and to cut down on fraud (PINheads, letters.computing.co.uk). The system was supposed to be “good for consumers”. However, we now seem to be in a position where banks have issued a flawed PIN system and we have no redress if, through no fault of our own, someone gets hold of our PIN number and/or card.

We must enter all four numbers of our PIN and in the correct order. But it would be better if banks asked for say, the third and first number, and then two random numbers. That way, even if we were overlooked and someone stole our card, the thief would not know which were the authentic numbers and which were the random numbers. The card could then be locked after three unsuccessful attempts.

According to some  reports, it is now possible to hack chip-and-PIN devices with a paperclip and a
needle. Cards can also be cloned  and the card owner would never know.

Another security flaw is that, once a PIN number is entered, the Barclays PinSentry device announces that it is correct by confirming it. No signature on paper is required, so card owners cannot even prove that the signature is theirs.

Cheques are being refused by some shops and the trend will grow – this means more use of chip-and-PIN by  people who may not be  so careful about who is watching them.

I welcome the idea of  chip-and-PIN and increased security. But the current system seems to have been dumbed down and as a  consequence security has been compromised.

Steve, submitted on the web

Your statement: “to suggest that use of technology is inimically linked to control freakery and surveillance is facile” beggars belief (Hysteria clouds database debate, comment.computing.co.uk).

Go to countries that have had such control freakery in place and ask the local population before you sound off.

Two examples spring to mind – Brazil and Russia. There is no question that the setting up of databases, such as the proposed national ID database here, would have enabled even greater oppression in both countries during periods in which they were run by oppressive regimes.

How easy would it be to develop a system to interrogate, say, your identity data and cross-reference that with your health data, tax records, driver’s licence and car tax records, land registry records, police databases, and so on? The next step would be to allow a two-way transfer of information. And that would mean people accessing data to which they should have no right of access.

Let us be quite clear. The current government is moving, by stealth or otherwise, to the point at which all national databases holding personal details will be linked. Whether or not the government is benign in its intentions is irrelevant. Any future government may not be. And any government with a majority can do what it likes.

It is precisely because the government can use technology to link such systems that we should be worried.

Because once it is all in place it will never be removed.

Philip Kellingley

The biggest privacy problem I have with ID cards – and I have seen precious little debate on this detail – is who has access to the audit trail and under what circumstances? (Roll up, roll up, get your voluntary ID cards here, editor.computing.co.uk).

There is massive scope for the ID card to turn into a people-tracker device by the government increasingly mandating circumstances for which ID card use is mandatory.

Perhaps in the future people will be forced to use their cards when spending more than £50, or buying petrol or visiting their local gym, to the point where it is impossible to live day-by-day without leaving a trail.

What is needed is a serious debate on who will have  access to the audit trail and under what circumstances, and whether or not the government will ever mandate the use of a person’s ID card.

Mike Byrne

It is true that data loss is becoming far too prevalent and the need to back up data is not only applicable to businesses, but also private consumers (It is best to plan for the worst, letters.computing .co.uk).

Our reliance on the numerous forms of technology we use every day means we are unwittingly exposing ourselves to losing valuable personal and private information as never before.

Take mobiles, for example. We store so much information on our phones, yet we do not see the need to make sure these are safe should the phone be lost or stolen.

The prevalence of this issue explains the emergence of numerous services that allow users to back up
mobile content, such as pictures, videos and texts, with ease. Data backup will soon become the norm as consumers and businesses begin to understand the   inconvenience associated with data loss. It is simple, yet so many people do not even consider it.

Johan Rock

As an IT manager working in the education sector, I disagree with the comment that "Building Schools for the Future (BSF) is providing many opportunities for innovation in the education sector" (The lure of the public sector).

Unfortunately, this is simply not true - IT BSF is about putting a one-size-fits-all approach into schools,
installing a managed service, run by companies that are more interested in profit than in the education of future generations.

Innovation in IT will be taken away from IT professionals and teachers in schools and placed in the hands of private sector companies, away from those who care, and given to those who want their Christmas bonus.

The article states that "IT managers and directors are often ahead of their private sector colleagues", and this is true, however, under BSF, those IT managers and  directors will either be  transferred to the private sector company or made  redundant. Under BSF, there will not be any IT professionals in education - it will all be outsourced.

The "dynamism, innovation and pace" of IT in education will die with BSF, as schools are forced to adopt a system over which they have no control, and no ability to tailor the IT facilities to enhance the teaching and learning of those whose education is in our hands.

IT managers sometimes get a bad reputation from teachers in schools for not seeming to be flexible enough - due to the need to balance the needs of teaching with providing a stable and functional IT system.

They are in for a shock  under BSF when they find the school has no real control over the flexibility and resources of their IT provision.The NHS project has taught this government nothing because it continues to try to shoehorn everything into the middle ground.

Marc Blake

Some time ago, a fair chunk of Backbytes was taken up with arguments about the meanings of
active, reactive and proactive (backbytes.computing.co.uk). In the end, I think the consensus was that they all meant, er, something or other.

Interesting then to read that Mark Samuels is advocating "a proactive reaction" to the release of .asia domains (Stake a claim to your Asian domain, knowledge.computing.co.uk).

As one cannot react to an event until that event has happened, but to be proactive one must take action in advance of the event, can anyone explain what a proactive reaction is?

Antony Hawkins

The company I work for does not pay overtime and getting time off in lieu is next to impossible, so at the end of my working day I go home (Why are you giving up £5,000 a year? peterskyte.computing.co.uk).

If my boss wants me to work longer than my contracted hours, he will have to pay me for it.

Keith Woollacott

Dave Walker's comment suggests he is speaking for himself (Why are you giving up £5,000 a year? peterskyte.computing.co.uk).

I think he needs to "get real" - "99.99 per cent waste several hours of their employers' time each day", he claims? Some under-motivated, low-skilled workers in some jobs might waste a fraction of their employer's time, but this certainly is not true of most of the highly skilled, highly motivated people working in the IT industry.We work very hard to meet deadlines and whatever time we may spend on personal phone calls or email is more than made up by the extra hours we put in each day.

Perhaps he is an employer who now fears having to pay for all the free hours of labour he has been getting all these years.

Mark Jones

So this is how ID cards are going to be done - "salami" tactics (Government slows ID cards rollout plans).

By cutting off segments of the UK population such as airport workers and students and forcing them to adopt ID cards - or they will lose their jobs, university place or benefits - the government is going to make mass refusal of ID cards impossible.

There will just be a few lone mavericks left and we will be easy to pick off with fines and prison sentences.

Our only hope lies in the technology - they are not  listening to those who say this is not a feasible project, particularly when handled by any government of ours, with its dire track record.

Maryon Jeane

I agree that you should stay away from Cobol if you are a recent graduate (Schoolboy error, letters.computing.co.uk).

I searched Monster.co.uk for Cobol and restricted it to London. I received just seven results. There were only 39 Cobol-related jobs advertised nationwide.

Cobol is not worth the risk in my opinion and Cobol is dead today from a careers perspective. You are competing for a handful of jobs with people with years and years of experience. I will stick with languages such as Java, C#  and C, where a search returns thousands of jobs.

James, submitted on the web

Giving PCs to low-income families is another bonkers initiative (Government aims to bridge digital divide).

These people cannot afford a PC, but can afford the latest trainers, 20 cigarettes per day, £20 per week on pay-as-you-go mobile and an Xbox.If the area is that deprived, how long will it be before the thing is stolen, smashed, lost or damaged? It is not the cost of the computer - laptops are about £200 and
going down in price all the time - it is the huge phone bill they will run up if they get a phone line. That is what community centres and libraries are for.

What money-wasting morons governments are. Still, there is plenty more money where that came from. Tax the workers and let the indigent play on their free PC.

B Green

There is no IT skills shortage. It is an excuse used by many corporate executives to mask poor performance (IT skills shortage reaches highest level in 10 years).

Europe has a surplus of highly qualified IT, business and consulting professionals. Just look at the number of independent niche consultancies with very experienced people and excellent credentials.

The UK National Statistics Office appears to be using an outdated methodology. I know a lot of people in the IT industry, and what we are told is not what we are seeing in the marketplace.

The founder mentality is missing from a lot of companies, where managers just want to just do what is on their job description, and not think outside the box as a founder would.

If the HR departments of these companies were to look for ways to engage independent and interim consultants, UK plc would have no reason to gripe about a lack of skills. What a myth.

Anika Baker

The concept of information-sharing platforms that allow vast quantities of sensitive and personal data to be shared across state departments and between caring professions appears to strike an obvious appeal for the government (Calls to scrap youth database).

But it is evidently not possible to secure networked information. In the past, we have relied on sensitive data being protected by keeping it in silos in GP surgeries, and shared by professionals on a need-to-know basis.

The idea of medical data being shared unnecessarily with social workers is disturbing and endangers patient/doctor confidentiality.

The potential value of the information to the shadow economy of such an integrated database should it be hacked, stolen or lost in the post might stimulate interest in attacking the system, and such a breach would compromise citizens' rights more than every other scandal that has broken to date.

Large, networked databases comprising huge quantities of diverse confidential data are therefore unethical, unsafe and must be abandoned for all citizens, not just children.

David E Bennett

It is very sad that the whole story about access and data sharing was missing from this article (NHS database must go ahead, say MPs).

It failed to mention the secondary uses service (SUS), which has staff with access to identifiable data, and it left out others, such as NHS staff at primary care trusts having access to identifiable data held by SUS and researchers.

My medical records are not held on computer because it is the only way my GP can stop others reading them. Patients can already access their full records, they do not need to be stored on a PC to be accessible.

Dave, submitted on the web

Well, there you have it – just outsource everything to India (Outsourcing and the lack of skilled UK IT workers, knowledge.computing.co.uk). Of course, you will have to have some moron with a degree in marketing to manage your IT outsourcing.

It is strange that business wants the smart IT people to have the skills of the people who could not make it in computer science or IT, and had to settle instead for marketing and business administration.

I remember a programming instructor I had in college who would remark on students who did not attend their lessons: “Tell them there is plenty of room in marketing.”

The problem is that firms end up with a lot of people with business and marketing degrees telling technology people what skills they need, and not surprisingly they seem to think that communication and business skills are more important than technical acumen.

Just outsource everything and put us out of our misery.

Sam, submitted on the web

It seems that some copyright owners get a very good deal (Legislation plans to tackle piracy and protect creativity).

I do not expect my employer to keep paying me after my retirement, or even my death, for the programs I have written during my working life, no matter how good or useful they might be. The rules need to be evened up in favour of the consumer.

And by the way, if copying is prevented, performers will not receive all the money they like to believe. Most users will simply do without what they consider to be unnecessary.

Neil Harvey

Great article (Web 2.0: Your business needs a strategy now, knowledge.computing.co.uk). IT managers are increasingly being told by senior managers to ‘build Facebook for my company’.

While commendable in its outlook, unfortunately this often masks a lack of any real understanding of what the business is trying to accomplish or how social collaboration tools can genuinely benefit an enterprise – just that they need to have Web 2.0. More fuel for the hype bubble, I guess.

Alastair Mitchell, submitted on the web

Reports on fraud show that the government and banks should realise that their data protection and chip-and-PIN systems are failing to deter fraudsters (Two UK companies make the top technology pioneers list).

Fake documents have made signature systems unreliable, while skimmers and pinhole cameras have rendered PIN technologies untrustworthy.

We have the option to make signatures reliable by personalising them with ID stickers and by using card key code to make PIN systems reliable, hopefully making the use of stolen and skimmed cards meaningless.

Roger, submitted on the web

I have been a Cobol developer for three years since graduating (Marks & Spencer searches for business-savvy IT recruits). I wish I had stayed away from Cobol and so should all recent graduates.

It really does not matter whether there are billions of lines of Cobol in use, or whether developers say Cobol is not dead. Such people have probably been programming in Cobol for 25 years, so you are competing with these guys for just a handful of jobs.

I am a first-class graduate with a masters degree and even with these qualifications, three years of Cobol has crippled my career chances. I am now hoping to build on my skills at university and will continue to apply for jobs. I am also hoping to do a range of courses to refresh the knowledge I have neglected during the past three years.

I know my opinions are all negative, but Cobol has made it very difficult for me to forward my career and I really do not want the same thing to happen to other graduates.

Look from the perspective of your career, do the research and see the truth for yourself. Basically, Cobol is dead.

Anonymous, submitted on the web

It is often seen as prudent for companies to outsource their IT to suppliers offering services based on cheaper but equally skilled labour from the other side of the world (BAA signs LogicaCMG deal).

At BAA, IT is not just about skills, it is also about industry knowledge and expertise that cannot be gained overnight by a company such as Logica, which might contract out work to an Indian industrial estate.

Outsourcing might save some money, but it can introduce significant risk, something that the airlines do not and will not accept.

And if it all goes wrong, the customer will not accept the situation either.

Anonymous, submitted on the web

Data loss may well be viewed as inevitable, but it would appear that many companies still do not budget for the necessity of data recovery or even include it as part of their contingency plans.

Our research has found that three-quarters of UK firms have no contingency plans for data loss. Clearly the attitude of “it will never happen to me” is still prevalent – or worse still – “it will happen, but I will deal with it when it does.”

This is a risky strategy, and a costly one too, because when a company’s data is destroyed, knowing how to respond quickly can significantly improve the chances of a full recovery as well as minimising financial loss.

Data must be protected at all stages – from creation, through sharing, to deletion.

The sooner IT departments realise and budget accordingly, the sooner we can move away from contingency management and towards true data protection.

Phil Bridge, Kroll Ontrack UK

Businesses are finally catching on to the importance of the consumer web – but companies need to embrace Web 2.0 from the inside (Businesses can learn from social web sites).

The Facebook generation expects collaboration and dynamism – not just through social networks, but also in corporate software. And this is something that stagnant, on-premise applications simply aren’t able to provide.

While users of traditional desktop applications are unwrapping boxes of software and waiting for it to install so that they can register it, hosted solutions are allowing other businesses to gain a head start.

Enabling collaboration and online sharing, Software as a Service allows businesses to access vital information wherever they are. And with our workforces becoming increasingly mobile, what use are office-based applications?

Organisations need to stop pigeonholing Web 2.0 as a consumer phenomenon. They must start embracing such common sense benefits as ease of use and greater intuitiveness in the enterprise. Only then will businesses fully reap its benefits.

Lindsey Armstrong,Salesforce.com

It was nice to see a well-balanced post that opens up the discussion of the effects of outsourcing (markkobayashihillary.computing.co.uk).

The current fixation is on the lack of congruence between IT and the business. Is this not a direct result of outsourcing the people who knew how to fit services together?

Rob, submitted on the web

The £1bn lost by fraud and error through HMRC systems indicates a series of issues (HMRC should threaten EDS with court). It is remarkable that we continue to see such high figures, but there might be light at the end of the tunnel.

For years, private companies have used technology such as voice analysis to minimise the threat of fraud. Some firms are already moving to more effective techniques, such as predictive analytics.

The insurance sector in particular has been innovative in its anti-fraud crusade. By analysing customer behaviour, insurance companies have been able to reduce fraud dramatically, speeding up legitimate claims and improving customer service in the process.

Data breaches and fraud cases continue to hit the headlines, and it is clear that the government faces an uphill struggle.

But by taking a more innovative approach, government departments can improve transparency and efficiency.

Rachel Clinton, SPSS UK

“IT is totally dry and boring” said your correspondent (Release me, Letters blog, letters.computing.co.uk). He has obviously lost enthusiasm for computing.

Imagine if those working on our big government projects were infected by similar individuals. Maybe we would all benefit if they left to take up a more suited profession  “mopping floors and cleaning up kitchens”.

Do us all a favour: work in IT only if you enjoy it.

Dave Walker

What you say is true (The world is going to India, Outsourcing blog, markkobayashihillary.computing.co.uk).

IBM has its largest operation outside the US in India. Indian brains are tapped by all international giants for cutting-edge research work. GE, Siemens, Merck, Microsoft, Oracle – you name it, all have research and development operations in India.

The world’s largest bank, food and beverage, insurance, steel and pharmaceutical companies are all headed by Indian chief executives. India itself is kind of a mini-Europe.

Jay, submitted on the web

Your reader Johnny is right when he talks about the poor pay in IT (Should have taken the bus, Letters blog, letters.computing.co.uk).

Last year I earned a little less than £30,000 for working on average three days per week. I have no academic qualifications, only a good number of years’ experience. I only have a basic knowledge of networks and earn my money looking after simple PCs and printers.

And yet I see adverts in your publication offering the same sort of salary but requiring various degrees or other qualifications and experience.

They also ask that the candidate takes responsibility for this, that and the other, although the work, project or prospects are always exciting, which I suppose must count for something.

And no, I don’t charge plumber’s rates.

Bob, submitted on the web

Am I the only one who has experienced significant delays in receiving an SMS, sometimes up to a few hours?

If users are relying on timely SMS to access their system, it is possible that working time could be lost (SMS to replace token security).

How do those lost man-hours compare against a £40 token?

Andrew R, submitted on the web

If new laws target downloaders, I think a lot of internet companies will lose a lot of custom (Government to attack download pirates).

Most people have the internet so they can download whatever interests them. I know for a fact that I will cancel my broadband subscription if this is made law.

Perhaps if cinema tickets and DVD hire were cheaper, people would not download as much.
Most of the films being made these days are such rubbish that I cannot see why anyone would want to pay to watch them anyway.

Tony, submitted on the web

There are far more important things surrounding the misuse of the internet that the government should be dealing with before it even thinks about media piracy (Government to attack download pirates).

The government does not seem to care as much when the little people are wronged, but any injustice to industry makes it pulls its finger out.

I doubt the entertainment industry is going to have a lean Christmas because of media piracy.

Dylan, submitted on the web

This is a very good article (Lite relief for project delivery), but I believe that the author’s statement: “The fact that a project is well-managed and ticks the right boxes does not mean it will deliver a working system” is incorrect.

I think a project is well-managed when the scope verification is being done properly – and in absence of such verification nobody can guarantee a “working system”.

The point to note is the definition of a “working system”. In my view, it is a system that conforms to the requirements of the work. In fact, this is what quality management is all about. If we do not do this, the project cannot be said to be well-managed.

Tanuj Mittal

This is a joke, right? (Law change will raise costs for local council IT). Why does Socitm think that the private sector should not absorb these costs – it should.

This is about disclosing the tax burden to the taxpayer. If suppliers want local government business, they should bear these costs. This is akin to firms telling the customer, who is ultimately the taxpayer, that they will do the work but not disclose how much it will cost.

These suppliers and overpaid IT consultants will increase their costs and tie all this legislation up in as much red tape as they can to make it expensive and unfeasible to do.

Ben Rattigan

In his letter, Steve wrote: “One might think that banks had introduced chip-and-PIN merely so they can refuse all refunds on disputed transactions because they can always say: ‘How did they know your PIN?’" (Suspicious minds, Letters blog, letters.computing.co.uk).

Was this not precisely the reason chip-and-PIN was invented? Credit card fraud cost banks more than £150m per year, because the rules said that users would be protected from fraud that was not the user’s fault.

Chip-and-PIN was designed as a way of proving blame. If you can prove it was the card user’s fault, for example they gave away their PIN, you can deny liability.

Phil, submitted on the web

I am afraid that working unpaid overtime is expected in many places (Why are you giving up £5,000 a year? Employment matters blog, peterskyte.computing.co.uk).

When you are on a fixed monthly salary, rather than paid hourly, it is next to impossible to request overtime pay just for finishing the workload.

If there is an expectation of “getting the job done”, people end up having to put in that extra time. I do not like it either, but I think it is very hard to change.

Mark Kobayashi-Hillary

We need to attack the IT skills shortage with long-term solutions, rather than temporary measures – and this will involve a re-evaluation of our approach (IT skills shortage reaches highest level in 10 years).

Both business and government tend to propose measures that have immediate effects. But while higher levels of recruitment may look impressive, the real answer lies in employee development and retention. Too often, money invested at entry level comes at the expense of existing staff. And once through the door, employees are frequently neglected – particularly in terms of training and skills.

Sadly, this means that initial potential can dwindle. We need to realise the importance of middle-order staff. A more even distribution of resources, combined with greater recognition of roles, will improve both operational output and business performance.

This may not excite the board members, but it will go a long way to relieve perennial staffing issues.

Ross Eades, InterQuest Group

Accenture's research reinforces the fact that the retail industry is still a long way from operating on a customer-centric strategy (High street problems send shoppers to the web).

Holistic customer profiling and behavioural targeting need to become a key priority if store visitor numbers are to be improved. By having the technological capability to understand what is driving customers in terms of preferences and behaviours, retailers will be able to cater their in-store offerings a lot more effectively.

Retailers such as Waitrose are using forecasting and merchandising software to ensure quality service is being delivered to their customer base. More stores need to use this type of actionable insight to improve the in-store experience.

There is no excuse for retailers that are under-delivering in terms of customer service and stock availability. Continuing down this route will result in damaging the customer experience and destroying brand loyalty.

Jason Goodwin, SAS UK